June 22, 1999Ken Noguchi, on top of the world after making it to the top of Everest. (Jiji Press)

On May 13, 1999, Ken
Noguchi, a 25-year-old student at Asia
University in Tokyo, ascended to the top of Chomolungma, better
known as Mount Everest (8,848 meters), in the Himalayas to become the
youngest ever to climb the "seven summits"--the highest peak on each
of the seven continents. The previous record holder was a 29-year-old
American who set the mark in February 1995. Noguchi began his quest
at the age of 16, and achieved the feat over a nine-year period.

Turn of Fortune
En route to his place in the record books, Noguchi conquered Mount
Elbrus in Europe (5,642 m), Denali (Mount McKinley) in North America
(6,194 m), Aconcagua in South America (6,960 m), Kilimanjaro in Africa
(5,895 m), Mount Kosciusko in Australia (2,228 m), and Vinson Massif
in Antarctica (4,897 m). When he reached the top of Everest on his
third attempt, he made good on an earlier vow to become the youngest
to scale the seven summits by his tenth year climbing.

Noguchi was born in Boston, where his father worked as a diplomat,
and attended a private Japanese school in Britain while in middle
and high school. In his first year of high school he was suspended
for fighting, and his father sent him back to Japan alone to "cool
his head." There he discovered the book Seishun o Yama ni Kakete
(A Youth Dedicated to the Mountains) by world adventurer Naomi Uemura,
which prompted his foray into mountain climbing. He launched his quest
to reach the highest continental peaks by climbing to the top of Mont
Blanc (4,807 m) at age 16, when the mountain was considered to be
the highest in Europe.

Noguchi gained admission to Asia University in 1993 through a policy
that grants entrance to those with special talents. During his admissions
interview he told the interviewer that he would like to climb the
highest mountains on all seven continents, except for Mount Everest,
while still a student. In the end, he reached the top of Everest as
well as a fourth-year student in the school's international studies
department, and was given a hero's welcome by the students and teachers
upon his triumphal return on June 1.

Noguchi's next goal is to scale Everest from the more difficult Chinese
side of the mountain, a task he failed to accomplish in May 1997 when
forced to abandon his quest due to poor health. "I'd like to give
it another shot," says the young alpinist.

Edited
by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented
here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent
the policy or views of the Japanese Government.